Maintenance Forum Notes October 3, 2018

1) Introductions

2) Southeast Waterways Update:

Tiger Pass: No changes. The MVN last surveyed Tiger Pass on February 22, 2018, although an old survey identified a controlling depth of approximately 1 foot Mean Low Gulf (MLG) between Mile 9.5 to Mile 10.5 (jetty end). The last survey effort could not be completed the because of the extreme shoaling but provided enough information to update the estimated amount of material in the channel at 3.2 million cubic yards.

Baptiste Collette: The Corps received $13.9 million in supplemental funding that is expected to be sufficient to fund dredging operations ($6.5 million) and to perform rock work to fortify the jetties and channel boundaries ($7.4 million). The MVN intends to advertise a bid opening in late October for a cutterhead dredge contract to restore full channel dimensions with work expected to begin in December (2018). The MVN will issue a contract for the rock work and expects operations to commence in the first half of 2019. The Baptiste Collette foreshore rock channel borders will be repaired along with the jetties, the jetties could also be extended.

3) Mississippi River Conditions Update:

Current Stage New Orleans: 9.26 feet
* Projected to remain fairly steady and reach 9.4 feet on October 11, 2018.

Current Stage Baton Rouge: 27.0 feet
* Projected to remain fairly steady and reach 27.4 feet by October 11, 2018.

* NOTE: The long-term Stage Forecasts are based on future rainfall over the next 48- hours only.

A. Crossings Between Baton Rouge and New Orleans:

The latest surveys and dredge locations for the Crossings are included in the attached agenda. The MVN continues dredging full channel dimensions (500 feet) on the Crossings with all three of the dustpan dredges (WALLACE McGEORGE, JADWIN and HURLEY).

B. NewOrleansHarbor:
The dredging in the New Orleans Harbor has been completed.C. Southwest Pass (SWP):

The MVN has restored fully authorized channel conditions in Southwest Pass and all dredging assignments have been completed. The MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is not scheduled to dredge in SWP until Readiness Exercise #1-2019 which is expected to be utilized in January or February 2019.

D. Head of Passes, Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA):

The MVN awarded a cutterhead dredge contract to remove 12 million cubic yards (mcy) of material from the HDDA (6 mcy in the base contract with options for up to 6 mcy) to Weeks Marine, Inc. Weeks intends to place the removed material in the West Bay Receiving Area. In order to place the material from the HDDA in this Receiving Area a submerged dredge pipeline will be placed across the bottom of the navigation channel. There will be several full channel closures from Pilottown to the Head of Passes utilized to install and then remove the submerged pipeline. The pipeline work is expected to begin the last week of October.

The navigation stakeholders and Pilot Associaitons will be issued a two-week notice of the upcoming scheduled channel closures.

E. Southwest Pass Stone Foreshore Dike & Jetty Repair:

A contract was awarded to EFT Diversified, Inc. on July 16, 2018 to make repairs to the foreshore rocks and the jetties that protect the deep-draft channel in Southwest Pass. The rock placement operations have begun and the contractor coninutes to work closely with the Pilot Associations to assist in maintaining navigational safety.

5) Spanish Pass Marsh and Ridge Restoration Project:

The contractors detailed information about their upcoming operations to take soil borings within the Venice and Pilottown Anchorages. The contractor advised the present river stages will delay these operations until the Carrollton Gauge has a reading of 6 feet or less.

6) Next Meeting:

The next Forum meeting is scheduled for 0900 hours on November 7, 2018, at the MVN District Assembly Room A.